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What do you really want out of life? Now what's stopping you?

Thursday, July 20, 2006

A Dying Breed?


Are the professions dying out? Have been speaking to a few of young adults this last week. What struck me was the fact that most of them do not regard themselves as a particular profession (even though many, including myself have a professional degree). Rather, they possess a unique collection of skills that they use to fulfil various posts and functions. If you ask them what they do, the description is not merely one of ‘accountant” or ‘personal-assistant’ but rather a brief sentence that details what they see as there skills or purpose. I’m not sure if this phenomenon is limited to Zimbabwe and has been created by the situation here, or if it is a broader trend related to this generation. While there is security in a fixed career structure, on a personal level I find the concept rather stifling-if I work for so many years, I can move up to another level if I pass my assessment-no thanks. But, admittedly that’s just me; or so I thought until I started talking with these people.

In a FastCompany article, Po Bronson states
“People don't succeed by migrating to a "hot" industry (one word: dotcom) or by adopting a particular career-guiding mantra (remember "horizontal careers"?). They thrive by focusing on the question of who they really are -- and connecting that to work that they truly love (and, in so doing, unleashing a productive and creative power that they never imagined).” and “There are far too many smart, educated, talented people operating at quarter speed, unsure of their place in the world, contributing far too little to the productive engine of modern civilization.”
Read the full article, and let me know what you think?

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